Money

You know your finances could use some serious TLC, but you’ve been putting it off… and off… and off.

When you finally do sit down to think about it, you immediately become overwhelmed. Which goal do you attack first? You need a budget, a savings plan, a debt repayment strategy, a better credit score, a plan for retirement, and… oh, you’re running away again, aren’t you?

Calm down, and come back. To tackle big goals, you have to start small.

Here are a few simple steps you can take today to get your finances under control and start working toward a healthier financial future.…

“The biggest mistake I see millennials making is being duped by insurance salesmen,” Andy Yadro, a financial planner with Googins Advisors in Madison, Wisconsin, told us. “Everyone needs insurance, but a very small subset of young people need the insurance that is sold by most ‘financial advisors.’”

You might still consider a basic life insurance policy, which can be useful if you have loved ones who rely on your income — a significant other, a child or even a relative you help out financially. A company like PolicyGenius offers you an easy way to compare and buy life insurance. Unlike traditional providers, this online-only platform provides an easy way to apply, and it offers instant quotes from top carriers online to help you make a quicker decision.…

Another simple way to boost your savings with a quick injection is to sell off some of your old stuff. You probably have more than you think!

Clear your shelves of unused video games, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays, and sell them on Decluttr.

Do you really need to hold onto your dusty copy of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” for another year?

Decluttr is a lot easier than selling direct through an online marketplace. You can unload all your old media at once, ship to Decluttr for free and get paid cash within a day, once they accept your order. Plus, enter FREE5 at checkout to get an extra $5 for your trade-ins!

Similarly, get rid of old college textbooks and earn extra money using Bookscouter.

BookScouter helps you find the best-paying and most reputable textbook buyback companies online. Just type your book’s ISBN into the search, and you’ll see which companies will offer you the most for it.

Most buyback companies offer prepaid shipping, so you won’t have to worry about that. And you can choose how you’ll be paid, usually via PayPal.

For virtually anything, you can use letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds. Not only does it remove a lot of the hassle of selling things online, it’s also 100% free to use.…

If you’re not using a rewards credit card to pay for your groceries, you’re missing out on free money.

(One obvious caveat here: This only works if you pay off that credit card balance every month to avoid paying interest.)

Credit card rewards programs can be confusing, though, because each card gives you different rewards for different purchases. Managing all your points and rewards can be a challenge, especially if you’re juggling more than one card.

To get the most out of your rewards cards at the checkout counter, try using Birch. The free app keeps track of your spending and helps you maximize the rewards you’re getting, whether it’s travel rewards or cash back.

Birch plugs into your bank account and credit card accounts (with high security) and analyzes your spending habits. It recommends which cards you should sign up for, and which cards you should use for your most frequent purchases.

For example, it might suggest you buy products at your favorite grocery store with a specific card in order to rack up the most points or cash back.

The average American shopper could be earning $600 in credit card rewards per year, Birch co-founder Alex Cohen says, referring to a Bureau of Labor Statistics finding that the average consumer spends $2,165 a month on groceries, gas and other “credit card eligible” expenses.

An integral part to managing your money is budgeting. Ew, gross. We know. But it’s important to take a good look at what you’re spending and understand where you can cut back.

An easy way to automate this process is to use Trim, a little bot that’ll keep track of all your transactions.

Connect your checking account, credit card and savings account for a big-picture look at your spending habits. Then, take a closer look by checking out each of your transactions. Now, set alerts to let you know when bills are due, when you’ve hit a spending cap or when you’ve (hopefully not) overdrafted.

Trim has a lot of other features, too, including an Amazon price patrol that’ll monitor prices on items you’ve ordered and give you money back when they drop. Best part? It’s free to sign up.…

A lot of us are being crushed by credit card interest rates north of 20%. If you’re in that boat, consolidation and refinancing might be worth a look.

A good resource is consumer financial technology platform Even Financial, which can help match you with the right personal loan to meet your needs.

Even searches the top online lenders to match you with a personalized loan offer in less than 60 seconds. Even’s platform can help you borrow up to $100,000 (no collateral needed) with fixed rates starting at 4.99% and terms from 24-84 months.…

We’re at no loss for smart ways to earn extra money without doing extra work, but here’s one you can actually start right now.

Sign up for the websites below on your smartphone, and earn start earning extra money every month — up to $600 per year!

MyPoints: MyPoints is more than a cash-back shopping portal. It’ll also pay you to take surveys. Once you sign up and tell the site a little bit about yourself, it will find you surveys for you. Each is worth points you can cash out for gift cards to popular shopping sites — like Amazon.

InboxDollars: Yes, you can actually get paid to watch TV online. The site hosts a ton of stuff to watch, including cooking, entertainment, news and health shows. The shows are sponsored by brands that need to get them in front of as many eyeballs as possible. Every time you watch one of the shows, InboxDollars will credit your account with a little bit of cash.

Paribus: It turns out that deleting your emails could be costing you serious money. Intrigued? An app called Paribus helps gets you money back for your online purchases at stores like Target, Walmart, Old Navy and more — but you have to keep your email receipts. Just connect your bank account and if Paribus detects a price drop on something you’ve bought at over 20 major retailers, it will negotiate with the store and pay you the difference. It also checks the tracking info for your online orders. If something shows up late, Paribus will help you get money back for what you paid for shipping — up to a full shipping refund.

Drop: This company wants to drop some cash in your wallet. After you link your credit and debit cards, they’ll give you points whenever you make a Drop-qualified purchase. This can happen when you’re grocery shopping, hailing an Uber or even ordering a pizza! The points will add up, and you can then exchange them for gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon and Starbucks.

If you want an insanely simple way to save and invest your money, try Acorns. You’ll be amazed by how much money you can set aside without even thinking about it.

Acorns is a smartphone app that connects to your bank account, credit and debit cards to save your digital change. It automatically rounds up purchases with your connected accounts and invests the difference in your Acorns account.

This Penny Hoarder saved $116 — about $35 a month — by connecting one debit card to the app and forgetting about it.

At that rate, you put away $420 a year. And if you use your credit cards more frequently, your round-ups could amount to much more.

But did you know that around 25% of Americans have an error on their credit report that is likely bringing down their score? And those poor scores can hinder every part of your financial wellness…

Banks and credit card companies aren’t the only ones that look at your credit score. I’ve had to authorize a credit check whenever I want to move into a new apartment, rent a car with my debit card and buy a new phone.

So, pour yourself a cup of coffee and check your credit score on a free app like CreditWise® from Capital One®. You’ll also get a free credit report card to show you exactly where your credit shines… and where it could use some improvement.…